Louise Annette Penry

A human is a single moment, the nexus of their ancestors' genetics and cultural heritage, a burst of energy that carries the past and hints at the future. Louise Annette Carlson Penry's moment began February 10, 1940, in Lakewood, Colorado, and ended 81 years later on December 22, 2021.

"Lou Ann," the daughter of Florence Charlotte Johnson and George Clarence Carlson, was the only sibling of her brother, George Clarence Jr. "Sonny." Her blonde hair, blue eyes, high cheekbones, and height were traits she inherited from her four Swedish immigrant grandparents, all of whom bravely traveled alone to Colorado to start their lives anew in the late 1800s.

Lou Ann proceeded to pass her Swedish features onto Ingrid "Edie" Penry and Annalou "Anna" Walker, her daughters from her marriage to Robert "Bob" Penry, whom she later divorced but remained friends with for the rest of her life. Lou Ann's Scandinavian heritage also appears in her four grandchildren, Darian, Tea, Livia, and Mason. She was proud of them, loved them, and enjoyed hearing about their endeavors to find their spaces and places in the world.

Lou Ann's formative years, particularly at Lakewood High School, produced lifelong friendships with incredible women, including best friends Donna, Shirley, and Ethel Bee, who loved and supported her throughout her life. "Lou," as her friends called her, was the 1958 LHS Homecoming Queen, one of four senior Cheerleaders, and an Honored Queen of Job's Daughters. She was as well-regarded as her honors imply.

After high school, she attended Colorado Women's College and CSU in Ft. Collins. At CWC, she met yet another best friend, Edie, who made her giggle like none other. Lou Ann often traveled with her parents to visit her brother Sonny, his wife Marcia, and their two boys, Randy and Ronnie, at their ranch in the Granby, Grand Lake area. Sonny managed the ranch's cattle and hayfields and owned and operated a ski hill called Ski Trail Mountain in the late 1960s and early 1970s. A great many family memories of Aunt Lou are up County Road 41 at the base of Trail Mountain.

In 1965, Lou Ann married Bob in the Air Force Academy chapel on his graduation day. After their first home in Los Angeles, they moved to Texas, then back to the AFA, onto Anchorage, down to Miami, and finally back home to Colorado. She was a homemaker during the era when the military had yet to incorporate programs supporting military spouses and families; the lifestyle took its toll on her by the time the family moved to Boulder. Tasked with caretaking for her aging parents during that same period, her life during the 1980s was a very difficult time.

Additionally, Lou Ann had a scoliosis curve that required extensive surgeries throughout her adult years. When she met people, there was no way for them to see the horrible pain she lived with. First, her T10 through T12 vertebrae were fused, and later her entire lumbar spine was fused to her pelvis with extensive hardware. It's a reminder to us all that we really have no concept of the pain someone is suffering from at the core of their being.

That Lou's girlfriends and LHS classmates supported her throughout her life is a testament to their goodness and loyalty. Her Fin Club friendships were among her favorites. She also loved laughing with her friends' children, including Doug, who really knew how to get her funny bone. Additionally, her connection with her cousin Dorothy's daughter and son-in-law, Deb and Butch, enriched her life. They were among the many who saw and brought out the best in Lou.

After taking care of her parents as they aged and passed away, Lou Ann worked as a customer service phone operator for King Soopers' teleshop service, where her friendly demeanor served her well. Additionally, she possessed a strong artistic sensibility, curiosity about human nature, and a love for western dancing at the Lakewood Elks Club.

She was a "maker," so her cupboards were always packed with craft projects, ideas, food, and recipes she found interesting. Deviled eggs and macaroni salad were her specialties. Her closets were brimming with outfits she planned to wear for all imaginable occasions. Her fantastical jewelry collection included big rings, loud bracelets, large necklaces, and oversized earrings she believed she could pull off because she was a taller woman. Her collection of kitchen antiques, home and yard decorations, Christmas ornamentations, and Santa Claus figurines was extensive. She liked listening to KOA talk radio, reading mystery books, and enjoyed watching bull riding and old movies. Of course, hamburgers, chocolate peanut butter cups, and anything smothered in butter were always on the menu.

Lou Ann's grandparents, the four Swedes who traversed the ocean and half the continent to settle in Colorado, gave her a Viking spirit, which she drew upon during her many travels, challenges, endeavors, and hobbies. Now, her future is with her four grandchildren, who will move forward with different Swedish traits and ideals like a love for nature, stoicism, and a sense of Lagom in their lives. She was indeed a vibrant burst of energy that carried the past forward and hinted at the future.

Finally at peace, Lou Ann had expressed her wish to not have a memorial service. Instead, her family will celebrate Lou Ann's life privately, with future plans to travel back to her four grandparent's homesteads in Sweden. Lou would have loved to know her extended family and friends took a moment to imagine her at her best, dressed to the nines with chunky earrings jangling, and swirling around the dance floor with a handsome cowboy.

~A special thank you to the staff at Brookdale Arvada Assisted Living, Brookdale Home Healthcare, Bloom Healthcare, and Brookdale Hospice for easing Lou Ann's transition with grace, kindness, and love.~